Bellator’s Next Big Thing, who had skyrocketed from state championship wrestler as a freshman at St. John Bosco High to coming within one point of making the 2016 US Olympic wrestling team, is noticeably absent in the grand prix after being knocked out in June by Anthony Borics – his third defeat in seven fights and his second consecutive knockout loss in six months.

And as competitive as Pico is, he is on board with it.

“To be honest with you … I thought I was gonna be in the tournament, but after the last fight, it kinda went silent,” Pico said in a phone interview Tuesday. “But everything happens for a reason for me. So right now, the most important thing for me is to let me develop and go from there.

“The organization has their plans. I respect whatever they have to do. They feel that’s the best thing, and that’s OK.”

Bellator President Scott Coker said he will be meeting with Pico and his new manager, Ali Abdelaziz, soon to lay out their plans for him.

Coker said he didn’t contact the 22-year-old phenom because it didn’t make sense to thrust him into the tournament – which features four fights Sept. 7 in San Jose and four fights Sept. 28 in Inglewood – and have him fighting so quickly after Borics TKO’d him with a flying knee at Bellator 222 in Madison Square Garden.

“This kid’s young, he’s so young. He has such a promising career ahead of him. We still believe in him. We still want to be in the Aaron Pico business,” Coker said at a press luncheon Wednesday. “And even though this (tournament) is the big shining light right now and it has all the sparkles on it, there will be others. Other big fights for him. So … patience. Trust us. Just trust us a little bit.”

Pico says, if asked, he would have turned down a spot in the grand prix.

“I would have said no. Not right now. Right now, just relax, get back to Albuquerque. This is not a sprint. This is a race for my career,” said Pico, who is now training at Jackson Wink MMA Academy in New Mexico. “My career is the most important thing for me right now, getting back to work. I feel good about saying that because I’m a great employee. I do everything I possibly can to show up and put on a great show. There’s no shame in that.

“As those guys start to fall throughout the tournament, bring them to me. That’s my plan.”

“I love Pico to death. Sometimes it just the trial and tribulations of life. You go through the thick and thin, but he’s a fighter. He’s gonna fight through it. I have faith in him. He gets it,” said McKee, with whom Pico trained for years before his recent move to Albuquerque. “I was just more worried about him personally, you know? Us being friends and then us being a little distant, that was my concern. I couldn’t (care) less about the fighting game.”

As challenging as it is for Pico to sit on the sidelines, rest and becoming a better fighter come first. He appeared on the road to beating Corrales, whom he had dropped and seemed close to finishing, and Borics, taking him down often the first two rounds, before losing to both in stunning, jarring fashion.

He said appreciates the support of Bellator.

“I think it’s Bellator looking out for me. I just came off two devastating knockouts. Why throw me into another war right now?” Pico said. “Not to say I can’t win, but at end of the day, it’s not gonna be good for me and my health.”

Coker said “there are financials involved in the fight game” – and Bellator ponied up a handsome sum to land Pico in 2014 – but ultimately, according to Coker, it is a people business.

After trying the hyperdrive route with Pico, he wants his young star “to take a beat.”

“We want him to come back in a big way and be the new 2.0 Aaron Pico,” Coker said. “And I think he can get there because no one’s gonna work harder than him.”

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